Catharine Merrill

Biography

Catharine Merrill was born in 1824 and devoted her life to education, championing serious study for young women and sharing the wonders of literature and history with generations of Hoosier students. Her teaching and writing helped create a broader appreciation for scholarship at a time when many doors remained closed to women scholars.

Her passion for learning lives on in the memories of her pupils and colleagues, and she is lovingly commemorated at Crown Hill Cemetery, where her legacy continues to inspire those who walk the grounds.